


Your habits become your values

by lerums



Series: Steve, Tony and their heir [9]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: A small disagreement between husbands, Domestic Fight, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Good thing they're doing couples therapy, It's all right though, M/M, Peter starts high school, this is just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-07 05:18:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17954318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lerums/pseuds/lerums
Summary: Peter starts high school, Steve and Tony have a slight disagreement. Peter is perceptive, and all is well.





	Your habits become your values

“Pops! Hi!” Peter exclaimed. Steve turned around to see the first wave of high schoolers emerging from the building. He recognized a bunch of the kids from before, Midtown high school of science and technology was a normal school for pupils of midtown elementary to move on to. It was a STEM school, and the other high school right down the road focused more on the arts. Peter had chosen the one he ended up with himself, although he had always enjoyed both art and music class. 

 

It was Peter’s first day, he had started late and ended early so Steve had taken the day off for good measure. That’s why he was picking Peter up, and meeting Tony back home.

 

Both Steve and Tony been to the school a week earlier for the security meeting. The same way as Peter’s elementary school, this was was a private school in the middle of Manhattan, so there were security measures. It was also a school used to the “rich and famous” placing their kids there, so the yearly security day right before school started was to lay down a plan for the teenagers’ wellbeing. Steve had been slightly worried before, but as Peter descended the stairs and he saw the guards by the doors, he calmed down a notch.

 

“Hey bud, how was first day?” He wrapped an arm around Peter, who didn’t immediately sink into the hug, but didn’t pull away either. 

 

“It was so so so sooo good pops, you won’t believe my schedule! Every second friday, I don’t even have to be here until ten! And I have a bunch of classes with Ned too!” 

 

Steve did believe, he’d already seen said schedule. Tony had sulked a for a couple of days after they’d received it, because Peter would have longer days in school now. They had agreed he should start doing his homework alone until Steve or Tony returned, to help Peter with his focus. Friday would play a bigger part in restraining the kid than before, which meant Tony had no excuse for scheduling meetings after lunch anymore.

 

“No way! That’s exciting, Pete,” he started, buckling into the car. “Now, I spoke to dad and he suggested you can choose dinner tonight. So firstly, do we eat in or out?”

 

“Oh, thanks! I know exactly where we’re going. You’re gonna love it. It’s called Harry. It’s this brand new restaurant not far from here, though I think you might wanna call ahead, it’s quite popular,”

 

Peter went on to talk about the newly opened restaurant someone had told him about. Steve guessed it would already be fully booked for the evening, as it had gotten quite a lot of coverage around the opening. 

 

“I’ll check, bud, but I think that’s gonna be hard to make happen in just a few hours. Harry’s really popular at the moment.”

 

Peter groaned, throwing his head back. “But why can’t we just call them and say who we are? They’ll give us a table in no time, you know it!”

 

Peter was right, it wouldn’t be a problem. If the Stark-Rogers family called and wanted a table, they most definitely would get a table wherever they wanted. Steve wasn’t as comfortable with those scenarios as Tony seemed to be. His husband had grown up in the world they lived in, and every aspect of it was natural to him. Steve couldn’t help but despise some of the values their community carried with them. Values that led them to be okay with sneaking in line, simply because they had more money than others.

 

Tony agreed with him in theory and they had agreed to raise Peter not to use his name to gain favours, but Steve knew that Tony tended to slip up at times. 

 

“You know we don’t do that, Peter. If you’d like, I can call to book for this weekend, if they’ve got something free. Or, you know, if they’ve got space tonight we’ll go tonight.”

 

Peter slumped in his seat. In Steve’s opinion, his son was much too well aware of how easy it could be to get a table.

 

-

 

“Tones, you in here?”

 

“Yep, under here! Give me a sec!”

 

A few seconds later, Tony rolled out from the underside of a car. Steve stepped forward to help him up, his husband wasn’t as flexible as he once used to be.

 

“I finally got word from the therapist, we’re on for next tuesday if that works?”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Fri, make space. Plot it in. Hey, where’s our kid? Doesn’t he have some kind of big day? I distinctly remember him bouncing from six am and through the entire morning. Did I dream that? Did he choose dinner?”

 

Steve wrapped his arms around Tony. “Yeah, he was really bummed out that we couldn’t just use our name to get a table at Harry,” Tony rolled his eyes slightly, and Steve felt a string being plucked at the irritated gesture. “Tony, he’s so impressionable now. Especially in a new school, with new people. I know you did a couple of pretty spectacular dinner spots last week when I was gone. I thought we agreed on this?”

 

“Agreed on what, Steve? To deny him of everything good in life only because it can be misinterpreted as abuse of power?”

 

Steve wasn’t holding around Tony’s waist anymore, and Tony’s hands never connected behind Steve’s neck.

 

“We’ve agreed multiple times that we weren’t making him used to money letting him get anything, anytime! We agreed, Tony, to not make him be like - like-”

 

“Like me? Like how _I_ grew up? Like how _I_ want to act? I’ve explained this to you multiple times, Steve, but all you seem to focus on is that all the values I bring to the table for Peter are the bad ones. The ones that we’re ashamed of, that we need to bury. You’re not perfect yourself, you know,”

 

Tony was breathing heavily, hands clenched at his side as he pulled further back. Steve was frozen in place by the car. What the hell was this? They’d had countless conversations about the people they used to surround themselves with over the years. And they mostly agreed that they were good people, but there were a few traits were arrogant and not very charming.

 

“I’m aware, Steve, you’re embarrassed to be with a bad man like me. You know how it is to be hard-working and a part of the majority of the world, you’re _miles_ ahead of me and my personality on the goodness-meter. And I know, you despise every part of Peter that’s me. Well you know what? Without me, there would be no Peter! Same couldn’t be said for you.”

 

The last part stung Steve, so much so that he felt himself take a step back. With that, Tony opened the elevator still on their floor. 

 

“Come upstairs and get ready for dinner when you’re ready for him not to notice anything. We’re going to that new place. If you want to join us, that is.”

 

-

 

Peter was in his room reading the comic book he’d just gotten when he heard doors opening and closing, followed by heavily muffled voices from the master bedroom. They weren’t calm and pleasant, they were strained. Just slightly louder than usual.

 

He sighed, and put his comic down. It wasn’t often that his parents fought, not anymore. He still remember it being really, really bad when he was about seven, so bad that Steve had spent some time at uncle Bucky’s house, but once he’d gotten back it became better and better. Peter knew they thought he didn’t know, that he was never aware, but one of two parents moving out for six months when you’re seven isn’t something you forget. 

 

But the days of constant screaming matches, uncles coming on surprise visits and taking him outside were over. Fights were always resolved in a couple of days at the most, and Peter would always play a part in lighting up the mood. They thought he didn’t notice, that they were successful in hiding it, but he wasn’t a kid anymore. He knew when there were tension, and this day he knew the reason too.

 

So Peter knocked on the master’s door and opened it before anyone could answer, “Dad! You won’t believe my schedule for school. I’ll show you everything later but every second friday I don’t start until ten!”

 

He jumped onto the bed, messing up pillows and blankets in the process. “I’m thinking maybe Rosemary’s tonight? The steakhouse? I’m feeling a proper celebratory steak, what do you guys think?”

 

His parents were in the closet, gathering laundry as well as pulling out blazers. Steve paused to look at Tony a moment too long for Peter not to notice, and sighed. “Sounds great, Pete. Friday, will you please contact them and book a table at seven?”

 

Tony showed off two different suits for Steve to pick. “Yeah, papa told me about the schedule. Sounds great, Pete. Now, I want to know all about this new school of yours. How was it?”

 

Peter cast a glance back towards his fathers before staring at the ceiling. Steve had his hand on Tony’s arm by then, and Tony was looking back at his husband with a look that somehow said ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘it’s okay’ at the same time. He considered his work done there, so he started the tale of how his first day of high school had gone.

 

-

 

“Hey, do we have the best kid on earth or what?”

 

Tony was crawling across the bed, curling up against Steve’s side. Steve put down his book and leaned back.

 

“Yeah. He knows us too well by now, it's gonna be an issue when he starts lying to us, I'm tellin' ya,"

 

They relaxed in eachothers touch, both because they were tired and had missed each other that night.

 

"Listen, I’m sorry for earlier. I was just annoyed because Peter was sulking the entire ride home and I might have come across… Not how I wanted to. I don’t think you’re a bad person, Tony. You know that, right?”

 

Tony was playing with his fingers, twisting Steve’s wedding ring back and forth.

 

“Yeah, I mean, it’s just those stupid thoughts coming back. Like, when you say stuff like that all I hear is you not liking me, and-”

 

“I do like you, Tony. I like you a lot! I love you! I love you just as much as I love Peter!”

 

Tony snorted, patting Steve’s hand. “Let me finish, love. I know you do, I just… You know how this works, when my thoughts spiral I create these images of our family being torn apart, just like it almost did,”

 

Steve manhandled Tony so he was straddling his thighs, and grabbed his chin so he could look Tony in the eyes. “Hey. I love you with all of my heart. I love you so much it hurts sometimes. Sometimes, when I drive to work, a song will come on that we’ve danced to, or you’ve sung loudly to somewhere, or one that just reminds me of you. And I’ll get this kind of… Pinch, in my heart. For several years I thought I had some kind of heart problem, but I never checked it out because it would just be once in a while, and gone as quick as it came,”

 

Tony’s eyes sharpened, and he opened his mouth.

 

“I know! I know. Should have checked. Not happening again. But when I was living at Bucky’s, I could finally identify the circumstances it happened. It’s always when I’m reminded of you, when I remember how much I love you. So, yeah. I love you so much it hurts, baby. Like I said in my vows, we’ll always make it through. I’ll be there because I need to be with you as much as you need to be with me.”

 

Tony steadied himself with his hands at the headboard, and lowered to give Steve a slow, light kiss. And Steve felt it again, those tiny tingles, this time all over his face.

 

“I love you too, sweetheart. Thanks. And yeah, I don’t think we can ever live apart after all this time. I mean, who’s going to make you declutter your shoe cabinet if you don’t have me?”

 

Steve barked a laugh, and Tony shushed him, laughing silently. 

 

“Shh, babe quiet! I swear to god, if you wake Peter up now I’m banishing you to the guest room!”

 

A new kiss was initiated by Tony, this time deeper, harder.

 

Steve flipped them so Tony was on his back, caged in by Steve’s arms on each side. 

 

“Trust me honey, I want that as little as you do.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> If you did, be sure to leave me a kudos or a comment, that would make me really happy :)


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